Business Details
48 Years
experience
Nonprofit Performing Arts Booking Agency in Ann Arbor, MI
Founded in 1978, Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates (GLPAA) has dedicated over four decades to advancing the careers of performing artists in the Great Lakes region. Our mission focuses on three core pillars: connecting talented artists with regional presenters, providing affordable booking solutions, and delivering educational outreach programs to underserved communities. Through rigorous artist selection processes and annual auditions evaluated by industry professionals, we curate a diverse roster representing classical, jazz, folk, and world music genres. Our technical and managerial support services include marketing material development, conference representation, and specialized career development programs like our annual artist retreat.GLPAA's unique nonprofit model enables us to support artists traditional agencies might overlook, with a particular emphasis on those committed to community engagement. The National Endowment for the Arts has recognized our work as a 'resource unlike any other,' highlighting our impact in making live performing arts accessible to broader audiences while nurturing future generations of artists and patrons.
Services
Artist Booking
Educational Outreach
Community Programs
Promotional Support
Career Development
Details
- Year established: 1978
Highlights and features
- We offer affordable booking of high-caliber regional artists since 1978
- Our educational outreach programs serve underserved communities across the Great Lakes region
- We provide comprehensive career development including annual artist retreats
- Our nonprofit model supports artists traditional agencies might overlook
- We deliver professional promotional materials and technical support services
What people say
First-class performers
Details beautifully handled
Delight to work with
Meaningful arts experiences
Professional quality materials
Services
Artist Booking
We connect presenters with high-quality performing artists across the Great Lakes region. Our booking service includes contract management, budget coordination, and professional promotional materials. Artists receive performance opportunities while presenters gain access to diverse talent at affordable rates through our established network of small to mid-sized venues.
Educational Outreach
Our Caravan Program delivers educational experiences through school assemblies, masterclasses, and collaborative performances. This initiative focuses on underserved communities, providing students with direct interaction with professional artists to cultivate future audiences and inspire new generations of performers through hands-on learning opportunities.
Career Development
We offer comprehensive career development services including marketing material creation, conference representation, and specialized training. Our annual artist retreat provides networking opportunities and skill-building sessions. This support helps emerging artists gain visibility while established performers expand their regional presence through our curated presenter network.
Community Programs
We organize neighborhood concerts and livestream performances that bring live arts experiences directly to communities. These programs make performing arts accessible to diverse audiences through both in-person and virtual formats, ensuring cultural engagement opportunities for residents across the Great Lakes region regardless of location or mobility.
Artist Representation
We represent a curated roster of emerging, developing, and established artists from diverse genres. Our selection process includes annual auditions by industry professionals, ensuring quality while prioritizing artists committed to education and community outreach. This representation includes technical support and promotional assistance to enhance artists' regional visibility.
People
Amanda Stanger-Read
Executive Director
Amanda Stanger-Read leads GLPAA with over 30 years of experience in dance education and arts administration. She previously operated her own dance and music studio before returning to GLPAA in 2022, bringing extensive industry knowledge and community connections to her role as Executive Director.
Kay Otto
Board President
Kay Otto serves as Board President with 37 years of experience as a Speech Pathologist at St Joseph Mercy Hospital. She brings strong community ties and a deep appreciation for live music cultivated through raising four musically-inclined children and supporting local arts initiatives in Ann Arbor.
Deborah Katz
Board Secretary
Deborah Katz contributes 40+ years of music education experience to GLPAA. As former Coordinator of Music Education in Ann Arbor Public Schools and Kennedy Center Arts Education Fellow, she offers specialized expertise in curriculum development and arts integration, having performed at the Sydney Opera House through Kennedy Center programs.
John Floyd
Board Treasurer
John Floyd provides financial leadership with 30 years of experience in budgeting and financial control across government, nonprofit, and academic sectors. A former economics instructor at Chicago-area colleges, he holds advanced degrees from Oberlin College, University of Michigan, and DePaul University.
LaTonya Woods
Advisory Board Member
LaTonya Woods contributes expertise as a music educator and administrator with experience at Ann Arbor Public Schools, Sphinx Organization, and Michigan State University. She directs a community string music program and serves on multiple arts education boards while maintaining an active performance schedule in metro Detroit.
Questions
Who do we represent?
We represent emerging, developing, and established performing artists from the Great Lakes region committed to education and community outreach.
Where do our artists perform?
Our artists perform at venues across the Great Lakes region including museums, universities, churches, libraries, and cultural centers.
What educational programs do we offer?
We provide Caravan programs with school assemblies, masterclasses, and collaborative performances focused on underserved communities.
How are artists selected?
Artists undergo annual auditions evaluated by a panel of musicians, educators, and industry professionals.
What funding sources support our work?
Our activities receive support from NEA, MACC, Michigan Medicine Gifts of Art, and individual donors.
What booking services do we provide?
We offer contract management, budget coordination, and promotional support for presenters working with regional artists.
